Briar
by Stormy Huntress
Summary: Briar has wanted nothing more than to stay in the forbidden forest that separates the European Federation and the Commonwealth. What's in there? And... what's beyond it? The answer to the second one is... danger. Kai's not dead... yet. But he soon will be. An effort by Cinder and her friends isn't enough. They have to trust Briar, while they all unravel new mysteries together.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone, and welcome to _Briar!_ Maybe you could tell from the summary (wink), but this fanfic revolves around a real-life Princess Aurora, with the name Briar. So come on and read this fanfic! I hope you enjoy!**

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 _ **Part I**_ _ **: Once upon a time, a line spoken that made the earth and moon tremble was spoken, unknown to the woodland princess, whose future it concerned...**_

Briar blinked, peering out into the dark, forbidden woods through her window. It had always fascinated her, for some reason, more than the small, dusty village to the other side of her home. She had always felt as though there was something calling her, not from the woods, but from _beyond_ the woods.

The people of the village told her countless times that the forest marked the border between the European Federation and the Commonwealth, and was worth nothing more.

 _Well, so why is it forbidden?_ She'd wanted to ask them in reply, so many times, but every time, she decided not to. _There's nothing more harmful in there than a bunch of flowers and trees, and there's safety on either side._

Briar's mother, a rather elegant-looking woman, had done her best to convince Briar _not_ to go to the woods. And ever since she'd tried to leave the house to go into the forest several years ago, she had put an iron lock on Briar's window and hadn't taken it off ever since.

 _Huh. Talk about being overprotective._

But she meant only well, and didn't want Briar to get lost, or something else like that. Well, Briar felt that was entirely foolish, and often swore rather vibrantly under her breath at the locked window. But she planned to get out, someday soon.

Staring through the locked window so often should have enabled her to find some sort of opening, anywhere.

No, there wasn't an opening. Her mother Florence had made sure of that. Briar had inspected the locked window for hours and hours, and there was no sign of any weakness to the iron lock. Inspecting the lock for any weaknesses was what she did almost _every_ day.

With a sigh, Briar pulled away from the window, rising to her feet. It was practically hopeless to imagine leaving through the window without anyone's help. She needed someone who was... say, good at breaking locks? Well, obviously, but someone who was _willing_ to help her.

She didn't think _anyone_ understood her predicament.

Everyone just thought that she was crazy to want to go to the forest. _Why is being attracted to the forest such a bad thing? I mean, everyone's found_ some _sort of interest in the woods before, haven't they?_

The forest was beautiful, Briar thought. Closing her eyes, she thought of the moist air around her, where the water would drip beautifully from the leaves, and the jade moss coated the trunks of the trees. At night, the moon would be wonderfully visible, with the silhouettes and shadows around her to create something even beyond her dreams... there was nothing that surpassed those wonderful green tendrils, and the way that the light filtered through the trees... if only she could get a closer look. If only. If only her dream could come true.

If only she could go out into the forest... even just for a moment.

Just for a moment.

Just once.

Just to see the breathtaking view, so that she would know its beauty.

Just so that she wouldn't die without ever seeing it.

Briar drew in a breath, staring out as far as her vision allowed into the forest. There was a large boulder, trees - obviously, vines hanging low, and... wait... some weird shadowy shape moving through the trees. Briar blinked, and it was gone. _It was probably just a trick of the light,_ she told herself. _The forest is full of mist. I probably didn't see anything._

But Briar knew, she just _knew,_ that the creatures that some of the villagers fantasized about could be real.

There were _creatures_ in the woods. Living things, just like Lunars and Earthens.

"Briar!" Briar pulled away from the window in surprise as her mother Florence called her name. She turned her head just as Florence walked inside her almost-empty room, hands on her hips. Florence was tall, slender... _elegant,_ if you will. A motherly-looking figure, though rather stern to Briar.

"I'm leaving," Briar whispered softly, more to herself than to her mother.

Florence took a step toward her. " _What?_ "

"I'm leaving," Briar repeated, her voice louder this time. "There's a whole world for me, out there in the woods. It's calling me... I can basically _feel_ -"

"I don't _care_ what you can 'basically feel'," Florence retorted smoothly. "Briar, I've told you many times that you're _not_ going out into the woods, and I'm not changing my mind today. Or ever, for that matter." Briar's blue eyes flashed at her mother's words.

"You _have_ to!" Briar snapped. "I just _don't_ feel at home here. I can't keep on like this. I can't _live_ without seeing it!"

Florence rolled her eyes. "You can, and you will," she stated, in a voice of authority, and Briar sighed. "Anyway, I came to tell you that I'm going to leave for the village market in a few minutes." Her eyes narrowed. "Or maybe, now... I should take you with me."

Briar raised her voice in protest. "No!" She sighed. "Honestly, Mother, I'm fine. You... you can lock the door from the outside if you want."

"Excellent," Florence stated, her voice like steel. "I will." And she pivoted, walking away. Briar let out a sigh. She couldn't leave then, not if Florence locked the door from the outside. Or, at least, not to Florence's knowledge.

No, Briar would have her way. Florence often called her stubborn, and today, that would really have its meaning.

She stared out through the locked window, once more. Soon, she would see it again. She would _be_ there. Briar would be a _part_ of the forest... she would _stay_ there for as long as she needed. Well, no. Not really.

She wasn't coming back if her life depended on it.

No more of the hot, crowded streets of the village, no more of that constant longing to be out in the woods. The only thing she might miss was Florence... but then again, every choice came with its losses. She would cope.

"Briar!" Yet again, Briar was startled out of her fascination of the woods. "I'm leaving!"

Briar's eyes shone briefly... both with happiness and tears that she desperately tried to blink back. She would miss Florence... she really would. But now, the time was here. She was really leaving. She was actually going out into the woods.

"Bye, Mother." Briar resisted the urge to spring forward and wrap her mother in a hug... Florence might get suspicious. It was probably going to be the last time Briar saw Florence. When Florence came back, she would be looking for someone who wasn't there.

Briar stared achingly at Florence's receding figure as her mother walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out. She heard the key turn in the lock from outside.

Briar ran. Ran into her own room, practically throwing open the canvas closet. But she picked up the black gun that she had hidden for so long, just in case, with care; it was her main defense. Again, just in case.

There was nothing else she needed, anyway.

Just her portscreen, which she slipped between her shirt and jacket, ensuring that it wouldn't fall out by fastening a belt around her waist.

She had already changed into clothes that allowed her to move easily yet would camoflauge her in the shadows at the same time - a black jacket, black pants. Her hair fell freely down her back, and she didn't bother tying it up in her excitement.

This was it.

This would be the moment when she stepped away from her old life, never to look back.

Ever.

This was the past, now.

And she was never going back to it.

Briar steadied her shaking hands as she slammed one end of the gun into the window... into the locked window. And just like that, a moist air hit her face. Briar just wanted to bask in the sudden sunlight, the crisp air... but that wasn't an option.

Fastening the gun weakly as her hands shook, Briar took a step toward the window.

Drew in a deep breath.

No.

She couldn't. No.

It was all she ever wanted, and she couldn't give it up. But she couldn't just... leave like that.

A key turned, and Briar heard the door open. The creak was followed by hurried footsteps. "Briar!" Briar gasped as she heard Florence's voice from somewhere else in the house, probably from the front. "Briar! I heard something break in here!"

It was now or never.

The footsteps got louder as Florence neared her room. "I think it was more than just me who heard that break."

Briar drew in a breath and sprang, clambering through the shards of glass, ignoring the stings in her leg as sharp points of glass scraped her. She looked back. Once. Briar saw the door of her room open violently. "Briar!"

There was no more time.

She couldn't look back anymore. It was done. Briar closed her eyes.

And jumped forward, down.

Her knees buckled when she landed on the soft forest ground, but she steadied herself. Briar heard a shriek. Florence's shriek. She had probably seen the broken window by now... and put things together.

Briar ducked down.

"Briar! No!" Florence's voice - her mother's voice - was a shocked scream, and Briar felt tears well up in her eyes.

No. She had to be strong.

Blinking back tears, Briar crept into the woods, letting the breeze touch her pale face and whip her blonde hair back. She would have a new life, now. One that revolved around her and the forest. The forest that would influence every action, every move that she would ever make.

 _Her_ forest.

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 **All right! I hope you like that first chapter of _Briar!_**

 **More will be coming up soon! So please, leave a review as you go!**

 **See ya later!**

 **~ Storm**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, everyone! I'm back! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter of this story! I really appreciate your encouragement... all right. Enough of those fancy words :D. Time to get on with the story!**

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"He's gone, Selene."

Cinder looked up in shock as Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf, and Cress burst into her bedroom.

"What the-" Cinder ducked behind the tall mirror. " _Guys!_ I'm not even done _dressing_ yet and you burst in here!" She buttoned her shirt hastily - as queen she had refused to wear gowns unless it was necessary - and was painfully aware of her friends impatiently watching her. "And I've _told_ you not to call me that."

It was common knowledge that Cinder went by _Cinder_ instead of 'Queen Selene' and 'Your Majesty', to her close friends.

Thorne's mouth quirked up into a half-smile. "Right. So sorry, _Your Majesty_."

" _Thorne!"_ Cinder draped a dark blue cloak around her shoulders and stepped out from behind the mirror. Her warm brown eyes swept the four familiar faces that stood in front of her, pausing at one face. "Cress! I haven't seen you in a while... and your hair has grown a little, and-"

" _Cinder._ " Scarlet placed her hands on her hips. "This is urgent."

"Oh, yes, what's so important that _you couldn't wait until I was done dressing_?" Cinder crossed her arms over her chest. She looked behind Thorne, in the direction of the door. "And if it's so _urgent,_ where are Winter and Jacin?"

"Outside." Wolf's voice was gruff and short, as usual.

Cinder stared. "Call them in."

Scarlet slipped the door open, murmuring something outside, and Winter - _Princess_ Winter - entered, Jacin at her side. "Hello," Winter said softly, brushing dark curls away from her face, revealing the familiar three scars under her eye. Jacin simply nodded his greeting.

"Enough of this," Cinder snapped. "Why in the name of Luna did you all choose to swarm me in my own bedroom, _first thing in the morning_?"

Scarlet exchanged a glance with Winter, before quietly answering, "He's gone, Cinder."

"I heard you when you came in the first time," Cinder stated, matter-of-factly. " _Who's_ gone?"

Thorne, for once, actually looked regretful. "Kai."

 _"What?"_

Shock flared in Cinder's brown eyes. An icy wave hit her, plunging straight into her chest, almost sweeping her off her feet. The cold seeped into her chest, spreading through her entire body, as her face paled. She stumbled as she took a pace back, but she barely realized it as she stared back at her friends. _Please, tell me that this is one of Thorne's jokes._

But the solemn look on their faces, even _Thorne's_ , told her otherwise. There was nothing to joke about, here. Kai was gone. He was really gone... he left too soon, without telling her. He had been so far away, but he still managed to care for her all this time... and now he was _gone?_

"You mean... he's _dead_?" Her voice dropped on the last words, but her tongue forced it out.

Cress opened her mouth to reply, but she paused, and hesitated.. and the heaviness inside Cinder gave way to a ray of light. But her expression didn't change from that solemn, stony face. Worry clouded Cinder's heart again, tightening her chest...

Cinder stalked over to Cress and jerked the latter's head toward her by the neck. "Tell me!" Cinder growled, her grip tightening as a look of alarm flitted into Cress's eyes. The blonde-haired five-foot girl struggled in Cinder's grip. "Is. Kai. Dead."

"Cinder!" Thorne took a step toward her, horror dancing in his blue eyes. "Stop it! You're choking her."

She barely heard him. Cinder's eyes blazed, and her vision narrowed and grew hazy.

Something grabbed her from the inside and twisted, hard, making her unable to move. Shadows flitted in and out of her vision. And most of all, Kai was there, his face cold and pale, so pale. Cinder flinched at the vision.

Her heart thumped.

Kai.

Her precious Kai, whom she had confided in from the first day she had met him.

Couldn't be dead.

Could.

NOT.

Be.

Dead.

Flames danced in Cinder's vision, burning her in and out, stirring up something dark and violent inside of her. Yet it felt so soothing to Cinder to just fall into the darkness's grasp, to do whatever she was commanded to do...

Her grip on Cress's neck was firm, and the horror at the news kept her from letting go of her friend. Cress's mouth opened in an almost-silent gasp, her blue eyes wide with pain as Cinder's grip tightened.

"Is he okay?" Cinder demanded, shaking Cress's head from side to side, but as Cress opened her mouth, only a strangled gasp came out.

Somewhere from beyond Cress, someone was trying to step between Cinder and Cress, but Cinder mentally refused to let go until she got an answer. Then someone else tackled her away from Cress, who stumbled back.

Cinder turned just as whoever had tackled her slammed her down onto the ground. She lashed out with whatever she had at him... sending him sprawling away. And someone else grabbed her from behind, hauling her back. Cinder shut her eyes, mentally ensnaring her attackers mind.

No. It just wouldn't work, this time.

This person was somehow... too strong. Or he was trying to resist it.

"No!" Cinder swiped her arms at whoever was there around her... or whoever she _thought_ was around her. She kicked furiously, but they had a firm grip on her limbs, holding her down, pinning her to the ground. Though she tried once more to lash her powers out... she couldn't. She was just too weak.

"Cinder!" Cinder blinked. Thorne and Wolf were pinning her down, while Winter supported a gasping Cress.

Thorne chuckled. "Damn, she's pretty strong."

Cinder blinked again, shaking her head as if it would clear her confusion. "What... what just happened?"

"Well..." Scarlet began, "... your face went white and you attacked Cress and nearly strangled her until Thorne and Wolf pulled you away." Well. That explained Cress's situation, where she was gasping and choking, her hands around her neck, as she stared at Cinder in horror.

"But... why?" Cinder asked, kicking Thorne away as soon as his grip loosened in distraction. He skidded a few yards away, still chuckling.

At that moment, two armed guards burst inside, their rifles pointed toward Wolf and Thorne. One hauled Wolf away and placed the gun at the side of his head, ready to fire at any moment. The other maneuvered his gun from one person to another, ready to shoot at anyone who moved.

Wolf didn't dare move, but the expression in his eyes was clear enough. _Do something._

"Stop!" Cinder jumped to her feet, nodding to the guards. "Release them."

"But, Your Honor-"

"I said, release them!" Cinder snapped. "They weren't hurting me... in fact, I think there was just a simple misunderstanding. Nothing major." She flashed a bright smile at both of the guards, and nodded. Their dismissal.

Wolf jerked away from the guard who held him, as soon as Cinder finished speaking. With a bow, both exited the room.

"Damn." Thorne let out a breathy laugh. "They're trained, all right."

"They are my personal guards; what do you think?" Cinder retorted smoothly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her mind seemed clearer than it had befoer, she reflected. "You still haven't answered my question," she pointed out. "Why did I attack Cress?"

"Normally, you'd be the one to answer that," Thorne pointed out, but he didn't say anything more.

Cinder looked from one person, to another, to another. Finally, Scarlet drew in a deep breath, while Cinder gazed expectantly at her. She exchanged a glance with Wolf, quickly, before speaking. "Cinder... about Kai..."

"No."

"Cinder, you _can't_ afford to be like that-" Wolf began.

"Kai's not dead."

Every head turned to see that it was Cress who had spoken, though it looked as though it took her quite an effort. Cress pulled gently away from Winter's hold, and stepped forward, pulling her hair - which already began to reach her mid-back - over her shoulder.

" _What_?" Cinder was the first to speak. "I thought you said-"

"No, he's not dead," Cress stated.

Cinder's warm brown eyes softened. "Cress... I... I'm sorry. Something came over me, and I just couldn't think straight-" Cress took a step toward her and rested her hand on Cinder's shoulder. The smile was enough to tell Cinder that she would be fine.

"Well, _that's_ not new," Thorne muttered, and Scarlet playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"What happened to Kai?" Cinder demanded, ignoring Thorne and addressing her question to everyone else in the room. "Someone... answer me! Please." Her voice broke on the last word, and she sank to her knees. "Please... someone... tell me."

Jacin's blue-gray eyes softened slightly. "Cress was right. He's not dead."

"Then where is he?" Cinder's voice cracked again, and she punctuated her words with a muffled sob. "He can't die anytime soon. He can't just... go away like that..."

"He's being held captive in the Commonwealth itself," Wolf reported, and though he tried to hide it, his eyes betrayed sympathy for Cinder.

Cinder stood, clenching her fists. " _Tell me where he is._ "

"No." Thorne shook his head from side to side, meaningfully. "You can't just _rush in_ and ask for Kai at his own palace. Most likely you'll be thrown into a prison, too." Cinder clenched her jaw furiously, glaring at Thorne.

"You can't stop me."

"Cinder, stop." Winter spoke, her voice full of quiet authority. "Thorne's right. Kai's in a dangerous place, being held by a power-hungry, ruthless man who wants nothing more than his power over the Commonwealth."

"Who is this person?" Cinder demanded.

"A man by name Flint Augustus," Jacin stated.

Cinder shook her head stubbornly. "No, I don't care. I'm going, and that's that." Thorne opened his mouth to protest, but Cinder cut him off. "No. As your queen, I'm _ordering_ you to tell me Kai's location."

"If you go, we all go," Cress murmured softly.

Cinder breathed in deeply. "All right. But we leave _now._ "

"You can't be serious!" Thorne protested. "Just _look_ at Cress's condition! She needs to rest for a little bit... maybe we can leave this evening." He narrowed his eyes. "Besides, I believe you can't just _leave_ Luna like that. You have to make speeches telling everyone where you're going."

"Fine." Cinder narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "And I'll tell Iko, too."

Thorne was only half-joking as he said, "Good luck. Because I think we're gonna need it."

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 **There's your second chapter! Good? Bad? Tell me in the reviews!**

 **Until next time, friends!**

 **~ Storm**


	3. Chapter 3

**All right, I'm back! Now let me get started on the third chapter. This will be in Briar's POV, but the POVs won't _always_ alternate. But they will for the most part.**

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 _ **Note to Lover of Books: Thank you for correcting me! I fixed that mistake.**_

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 **This may or may not be fun. Depends on my mood *wink*.**

 **Anyway, let's get started. *cracks knuckles***

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The forest was quiet.

Not quiet in a bad way, like _eerily_ silent, but rather peaceful, with the only noise being the rustling of leaves, the flow of a river somewhere, and the occasional caw of a bird in the trees. What could go wrong in such a beautiful place?

 _Nothing,_ Briar told herself. _Nothing can ever go wrong, now._

And then, when it eventually struck, strange was the realization that if she could survive here, she would probably be the first to do so. The forest was forbidden. But, to Briar, there was no reason why it _should_ be forbidden.

 _And there seems to be no reason why no one comes out alive._

Dread settled in Briar's heart as the thought hit her.

She was the only human in the forest, for sure; no other humans would make it out alive. There might be predators - there _would_ be predators - but she had the gun she stole from Florence to protect her. And a portscreen to comm anyone in times of need.

But many creatures that the villagers had described didn't seem to be those that could be fought off with just a gun.

If they were, then why didn't anyone come out of the woods alive?

That had been the question that had plagued Briar all afternoon, here, but she didn't dare wonder too much.

She shuddered, remembering the images of wide, gnashing teeth and bloody claws that the villagers' stories had painted into her mind all of her life.

Now. She wouldn't need food, because there were enough berry bushes around her to last her a lifetime... assuming they were all edible. Not a very safe option, but at this point, Briar was too tired from the excitement to care.

The river - once she found it - would provide her with as much water as she needed.

Florence had once told her that she was quite reckless with many things... and as Briar realized that she would have to find a place to shelter herr, a source of food, and other things, she began to understand why Florence said that.

Not that the forest wasn't the best place, or anything.

It was _perfect._

It was _beautiful._

It was _peaceful._

And that peace she seemed to find amongst the trees and birds was all she wanted her entire life.

oO0Oo

Night was falling.

Briar had walked all evening, looking for any shelter... at least, a temporary home until she found somewhere better to go. Somewhere she could spend the first night of her new life.

And she had found something.

Well, something _decent._ It wasn't the best, but it would do.

Now, Briar was crouched under a sort of small, triangular hole made by three boulders. It wasn't perfect. Any predator could see her from a mile off, and that bothered her. She had no way to get to sleep. Every moment, she thought she could see yellow eyes staring through the trees, or shadows moving around.

She remembered when she had seen shadows moving around that morning, through her window. It had been real.

 _This_ was real.

Everything about the forest was real.

And all of a sudden, Briar wanted to go home. And just this once, she wouldn't mind Florence's demands. Or anything of the sort...

No.

 _I have to be strong,_ Briar told herself, trying to keep as calm as possible.

She let her eyes flutter shut, but they opened, almost immediately. Briar turned to the small pile of berries she _thought_ were edible that she had placed on a leaf, and picked one up, rolling it between her thumb and index fingers, cautiously.

After she had made it through a day, she couldn't die from _poisoned berries_ , of all things.

Slowly, she lifted it to her teeth, and her dry lips watered. She still hadn't found the river, but she would tomorrow. _I promise I will,_ Briar told herself, but she knew that it wasn't very likely that she would be able to live up to her promise.

There was a warm scent wafting off of it, and Briar rolled it onto her tongue. To her surprise, it didn't taste like anything, but hopefully, it would serve its purpose.

 _I wonder if it gets lonely,_ Briar thought.

A distant howl reached Briar's ears, and she shuddered, softly. _The predators with teeth and claws will keep me company._ That was her last thought as her head spun, and she fell back against the cold rock, dizzy and faint.

Briar let the darkness take her into a world of its own.

 _Briar had unpleasant dreams, that night._

 _As soon as she fell asleep, Briar awoke into the forest, once more. Except, she wasn't stretching from a long rest; she was running, her old, worn shoes pounding on the soft forest ground. She was running_ from _something, and Briar was too afraid to turn back to see what it was._

 _Briar thought she screamed, but she wasn't sure._

 _Maybe it was just her heart, pounding against her throat, willing her to run faster._

 _Her blue eyes watered as the wind whipped against her face, pulling her blonde hair back. Funny, she would normally have given anything to be out here and running freely... but not from death, as it loomed closer and closer._

 _And then, Briar looked back._

 _She nearly stumbled on her footing as she recoiled in horror._

 _Some_ thing _was right, to describe what was chasing her. It didn't even seem real... the black creature was rather large, and when it growled, its fangs bared menacingly. Briar screamed. Screamed until her voice grew hoarse._

 _And then there was nothing._

 _Something appeared._

 _It was a face, a face that was so horribly torn apart and bloodied that it was impossible to recognize. The blonde hair, though there were red streaks through it, looked like a wig on a corpse, and the blue eyes - or whatever was left of them - were open and glassy._

 _Briar's breath caught in her throat._

 _It was_ her.

 _It was_ Briar's _face that was so mangled... one eye completely torn out and replaced by a deep gash. Scars ran down what was once pale skin, and blood coated the lips, making them look exceptionally red, like the images that Briar had seen of the deceased Queen Levana on the net._

 _Except, not like that._

 _Instead of the captivating beauty of Queen Levana, which she had heard was all a glamour, this face was completely destroyed._

 _Briar's gaze traveled down the corpse, and she choked._

 _The throat, mangled, was brutally torn out, leaving a few clumps of flesh and drying blood._

 _And then, it was gone._

Briar awoke, gasping for breath.

She was sure that she had screamed at least once or twice in her sleep, and had probably alerted predators - just like the ones she had seen in her dream - of her presence right here. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if they were stalking her right this very moment, just waiting for her...

The thought sent shivers down her spine.

But she had to get out of here, and fast. Yes, she was reckless, but the chances of death right here were higher than if she chose to run somewhere else. Reckless. Stubborn. Both were words that Florence had used to describe her, and she had been right.

All the same, as Briar stepped quietly but quickly through the bushes, she wondered if the bloodied, mangled corpse she had seen was to be her future.

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 **Third chapter done!**

 **I hope you enjoyed, though it was a little shorter than the others (whoops)! Briar _is_ reckless (I got the idea from one of the reviews on the first chapter), and there is so much lying in wait for her *evil chuckle*. **

**Well, stay tuned, because the next chapter is coming out soon!**

 **Please review!**

 **See ya later!**

 **~ Storm**


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